Cam operated cap gripping wrench



NOV. 1, P E DESCHENES CAM OPERATED CAP GRIPPING WRENCH I Filed May 21, 1945- fI/l/I/l/I/I/I/II/IIII/ILX I/III/III/IIIII/II/IIIIII/ FIG. 3

IN VEN TOR. PHILIP E. DESOHENES wait/666M444;

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAM OPERATED CAP GRIPPING WRENCH Philip Edward Deschenes, East J aflrey, N. H.

Application May21, 1945, Serial No. 594,357

The present invention relates to kitchen appliances and more particularly to combination screw cap bottle openers and milk can punches.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved combination tool for use in securing and removing screw caps of bottles or cans and .for puncturing holes into the tops of liquid containing cans such as milk cans and the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a relatively compact tool suitable for use in opening screw caps of bottles and the like containers which is of simple design, easy to use and of inexpensive manufacture.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment the invention comprises a relatively flat sheet metal body member having a circular opening in one end and a slidable jaw member with operating means therefor for urging the same into clamping engagement with a screw cap inserted into the opening. Projecting from the lower side of the handle are a pair of spaced apart pointed pins suitable for use in puncturing a pair of holes into the top of milk cans and the like liquid containers. V

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing while the features of novelty will be pointed out with greater particularity in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the tool constructed in accordance with one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig, and Fig.3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of F g. l.

Referring now to the drawing the tool comprses a body member 10 which is substantially flat, relat vely wide and elongate in shape. One end of the body member ID is provided witha circular enlargement l I having a relatively large circular opening I2 therein forming a ring on that end of the body member Ill. The inner edge of the opening l2 on the outer portion of the ring II is preferably toothed or notched as indicated at I 3. The size of the opening I2 is preferably large enough to cooperatively receive bottle screw caps of the largest size ordinarily encountered and, while I do not intend to be limited thereby I have found that an opening Of approximately one and one-half inches is sufficient.

Slidably mounted upon the body portion I is a fiat jaw member I 5 having a width substantially equal to the width of the body member Ill and 1 Claim. (Cl. 813.42)

which may also be formed of sheet metal. The jaw member I5 is mounted upon the body portion [0 for sliding movement longitudinally thereof and may be retained in place in any suitable manner. As illustrated the jaw member I5 .is provided with a pair of parallel elongated slots furthermore preferably toothed or notched as indicated at H,

As illustrated more clearly in the sectional view of Fig. 3 the opposite side portions of the body member at the base of the enlargement II are offset upwardly by a distance corresponding substantially to the thickness of the jaw member l5 whereby a pair of shoulders [8 are formed for further guiding the longitudinal sliding movement of the jaw member l5. It will also be noted that the ofisetting of the enlargement II will position the'circular ring facing the edge I! of the jaw member in the same plane as the jaw member itself.

Means are provided on the body member ID for cooperatively engaging. with and for effecting longitudinal shifting of the jaw member I 5 toward and into the opening l2 whereby the jaw member may bev brought into clamping engagement with the peripheral surface of a bottle screw cap or other article inserted into the opening. As shown in the drawing this means is in the form of a d sc cam 20 which is rotatably secured eccentrically onto the body member ID by means of pin 2|. The cam lies flat upon the surface of the bo 'y member ID so that its peripheral edge will engage with the rear end edge of the jaw member l5 and is provided with an outwardly extending manual operating lever 22 for efiecting rotation thereof. The cam is of such size and contour as to permit movement of the jaw l5 between its opposite limits of travel, that is, form a retracted position in which the edge I! is concentric with the opening l2 to a fully extended position such as is shown in the drawing.

It will be readily apparent that with the movable jaw arrangement as shown the effective size of the opening l2 may be adjusted as desired to effect firm clamping engagement with a screw cap of a wide range of sizes such as are ordinarily encountered in the average home. Since the opposed clamping edges of the tool are notched it will not be necessary for the cam to urge the jaw member forwardly with a force likely to cause mutilation of the cap or breakage of the mouth of the bottle inside the cap. In the manipulation of the tool the end of the body member opposite the opening l2 may be grasped in the manner of a handle and, if necessary, a thumb may be pressed against the lever 22 attached to the cam merely with a force necessary to prevent slippage of the jaw member relative to the bottle cap.

The pin 2| rotatably securing the cam disc 20 onto the upper surface of the-body member 10 preferably projects a slight distance beyond the lower side of the body member as shown more clearly in the view of Fig. 2. The projecting end of the pin 2| is pointed so as to form a prick punch 24. The opposite end of the body member I 0 is bent downwardly as indicated at substantially at right angles with respect to the main portion of the body member. Secured to and extending downwardly from the body member If! adjacent the right angularly bent end portion 25 is a pointed pin 26 forming a second prick punch.

Secured to the upper surface of the body member substantially midway between the prick punches 24 and 26 is a striker knob 21 which is preferably provided with a relatively large sub stantially flat, or slightly rounded upper surface. For use in punching a pair of spaced holes into the top of a metal can containing a liquid, such as a can of milk, the tool is grasped by the enlarged end i l with one hand and the opposite end placed over the top of the can with the upstanding bead of the can positioned between the bent end 25 of the tool and the first prick punch 26. The spacing between the punches 26 and 24 being slightly less than the diameter of the ordinary milk can the punch 24 will automatically be positioned just inside the bead of the can at a point diametrically opposite the prick punch 26 with respect to the can. By striking with the other hand such as by the bottom edge of the doubled fist against the top of the knob 21 both of the prick punches 26 and 24 may simultaneously be driven through the top of the can.

One edge of the body member l0 adjacent the end opposite the enlarged portion H may be notched as indicated at 30 providing a bottle capper which is suitable for use in removing crown type bottle caps. The opposite end of the tool may be provided with a small hole 3| useful in hangin the tool upon a hook or nail.

It will be obvious from the description given that the tool of the invention may be manufactured at low cost inasmuch as most parts may readily be stamped and formed from any suitable sheet metal such as stainless steel. is safe and easy to use and includes no parts subject to wear or breakage even under rough usage.

Having described the invention in what is considered to be a preferred embodiment thereof it is desired that it be understood that in the'appended claim it is intended to protect all such obvious variations and modifications as would suggest themselves to.one skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.

What I claim is:

In a device of the class described comprising an elongated relatively wide and flat handle enlarged at one end, said enlarged end having a relatively large circular opening therein defining a ring, a relatively wide fiat jaw slidably arranged upon the upper surface of said handle adjacent said enlarged end, said jaw being curved at one end next adjacent said opening with substantially the same radius of curvature as said opening, said curved end of said jaw being toothed, a pair of elongated parallel slots in said jaw adjacent the opposite sides thereof, a pair of pins extending through said slots and anchored in said handle for retaining said jaw upon said handle, said jaw having substantially the same width as the main portion of said handle, said ring being offset upwardly longitudinally of said handle and adjacent the opposite sides of said jaw member defining a pair of shoulders for guiding the slid- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,261,045 McFarland Apr. 2, 1918 1,396,867 Miller Nov. 15, 1921 1,637,638 Hatzfeld Aug. 2, 1927 1,784,488 Jenkins Dec. 9, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,009 Great Britain Oct. 24, 1893 The device 

